Obituaries for July 19, 2019

Radabaugh, McCullough, Butler

Marian Radabaugh

Baker City, 1930-2019

Marian Margaret Radabaugh, 88, of Baker City, died July 8, 2019, at her home.

She requested only a private family service.

Marian was born on Oct. 19, 1930, at Vancouver, British Columbia, to William Dewey and Vernice Bradley Rick. She lived as a small child at Kelowna, British Columbia, before moving to Republic, Washington, where her father worked in mining. When she was a pre-teenager, her parents moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

She spoke many times of loving to swim with her brother and sisters in Coeur d’Alene Lake and she became an excellent swimmer, especially under water. After leaving Idaho, her parents moved to Baker County and settled at the Macy Mine in the Powder River foothills. While living there Marian attended Eagle Valley School at Richland. She made many long-term friends there and talked of them and the good times they had together. She also told us stories of the difficult life at the Macy. Her mother had to pack water to the garden that she raised and Marian and her brother Bill worked with her dad in the mine. But, though it was hard work, they worked well together and had fun times.

When Marian was in the ninth grade her parents moved to Baker and she attended schools there. She also had her first job at the Clubs Diner on Washington Avenue off of Main. She worked there for a couple of years in her late teens. During this period of her life, Marian was introduced to Raymond C. Radabaugh, of Baker, by her sister Audrey. This started a loving relationship and marriage that spanned better than 63 years of life sharing and caring for each other and their family.

Marian had passions and hobbies that included baking and cooking, especially for others. She would bake a minimum of five loaves of bread per baking. When asked why she baked so many for two or four people, she just said that that was the best recipe. She also made great cinnamon rolls, which friends and my (Keith’s) co-workers loved, not to mention her peanut butter cookies. She also loved gardening and her flowers and flowering bushes, her favorite being the lilac bushes in her yard and the ones unlike hers she saw in town. She would also keep an eye out for fruit that she could can in the fall, and would ask me to talk to the owners of the fruit and find out if we could pick some if they were going to go to waste. One of her favorites was elderberry and another was chokecherry.

She also loved fishing and could usually out fish her partners at the game. She enjoyed going to Anthony Lake almost as much as Murray Reservoir for fishing destinations in the spring and early summer. She also loved fishing on the Oxbow Reservoir for bass. And when not fishing, she just loved taking rides to different areas of Baker and Grant counties to sightsee and reminisce about past adventures, and we never grew tired of hearing the stories over and over again, although she would say, “I suppose you’re tired of hearing the same old stories”, and I would always tell her they were good stories to hear many times!

We will all miss her very much each and every day, as we enjoyed her each and every day.

Marian’s family, whom she loved and would do anything for, blossomed into one daughter, Sheila M. Fordrung and her husband John of Sequim, Washington, two sons, Bruce A. Radabaugh and his wife, Anne, of Luttenburg, Germany, and Keith W. Radabaugh and his wife, Jodie, of Baker City. She also loved and remembered each birthday of her eight grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.

Marian was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Ray; her brother, Bill; her sisters, Dorothy, Elathine and Audrey; and her grandson, Jason Radabaugh. She spoke of all her family often and missed them all very much.

If anyone would wish to donate on Marian’s behalf, in lieu of flowers, please donate to the Heart ’N Home Hospice through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home & Cremation Services, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834. Online condolences may be made at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com

Michael McCullough

Formerly of Baker City, 1952-2019

Michael Allen McCullough, 66, of Terrebonne, and a former Baker City resident, died in the early hours of July 9, 2019, at Bend.

His memorial service open to anyone wanting to pay their respects will take place Friday, July 26 at 4 p.m. at the Baker Elks Lodge, 1896 Second St. Whispering Pines Funeral Home in Prineville is assisting the family with arrangements.

Mike was born on July 26, 1952, at Baker City to Rodney Edwin and Nancy Gay (Russell) McCullough, the second of three children. He attended Oregon State University and earned his bachelor’s degree in English Literature, and was an honorary member of the SAE fraternity through his eldest brother and by virtue of owning a pickup truck.

Mike was involved in the cattle business since he was old enough to sit a horse. Following in his father’s footsteps, he was an avid rancher and auctioneer, with a hand in creating the original system of buying and selling livestock through video sales used in auction houses throughout the West. His entrepreneurial business acumen led him to several subsequent ventures, including innovative uses for fleets of golf cart in Central Oregon through Keystone Golf Cars.

A quintessential outdoorsman, Mike was proficient in fishing and hunting, spending weeks at a time in Alaska. He was widely read, with a broad knowledge of global topics and an opinion on pretty much everything. He was an excellent griller, although this was occasionally a point of contention if you were new to the family and he was able to talk you into eating freshly fried Rocky Mountain oysters at the annual Fourth of July party in Silverton, Oregon. Like his mother, he took great joy in gardening, particularly fresh vegetables. His ranching background came in handy, allowing him to be resourceful as someone who can build or fix most things, and while often the aesthetic left something to be desired, “It Works By God!”

He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Christina Welch; his daughters, Rachel McCullough of Redmond and Megan McCullough of Houston, Texas; his brothers, Chuck and Jim; and his nephews, Brian and Joe.

In lieu of memorial contributions, the family asks that you consider extending kindness to a stranger, or offering forgiveness to a loved one. To offer the family your condolences go to www.whisperingpinesfuneralhome.com

Jesse Butler

Baker City, 1989-2019

Jesse Butler, 30, of Baker City, listened to Nate Dogg for the last time on July 14, 2019, with one of his all-time favorite people, Travis Culbertson.

A memorial service for Jesse will take place Saturday, July 20 at 1 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., and a celebration of life will following the memorial service at Wade Williams Park.

Jesse found great pleasure in the little things, like a really good song, well-prepared food, a thought-provoking book, and moments with friends. Music and nature moved him. He enjoyed looking for morels, picking huckleberries, gathering wildflowers, and he loved to sleep in the flowers for a couple of hours.

Jesse was born on Feb. 13, 1989, at Baker City to Kevin and Corinna Butler. He grew up with his older sisters, Nicole and RaeAnn, and graduated from Baker High School in 2007. Throughout that time, he forged many friendships, as well as some other smooth street skills.

After high school, he sampled a variety of career pathways, a true Jesse of all trades. From ministry to DJ mastery, he worked well with others. Once known as DJ-Minister Jesse, he could run every facet of a wedding, and then mix drinks for the after-party. He was a generous soul, a loving spirit, and a better friend than there ever was. Jesse loved to explore new places and made friends everywhere he went. No matter where he traveled, he would interact with just about everyone, whether they liked it or not.

Jesse loved music. He started drumming at the age of 15, and never gave it up. He enjoyed jam sessions with his closest friends and bandmates. Jesse’s taste of music was not singleized. He loved it all. He didn’t just enjoy sharing his music; he enjoyed sharing philosophies. He was an amazing storyteller, which we believe are mostly true stories.

Jesse is survived by his parents, Kevin and Corinna Butler; his sisters, Nicole Sullivan, RaeAnn Butler, and Mindy Watson; his nephews, Declan and Jack Sullivan, and nieces, Ryan Sullivan and Madison Crews. He is also survived by hundreds of beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, and many, many friends.

Because of Jesse’s dedicated love for music, his family and friends have asked that in lieu of flowers to donate money to the Jesse Butler Memorial Music Fund for Kids at Old West Credit Union in Baker City. This fund will help young people purchase lessons or equipment to strengthen their skills in music through Marilyn’s Music, and Jesse’s close friend, Damon Rose. Jesse was all about keeping it local!